CHENNAI: The State suffered a loss of Rs 50 crore owing to corruption in the construction of tenements and irregularities and under-valuation in the allotment and sale of Tamil Nadu Hou-sing Board (TNHB) houses during the previous DMK regime, Minister for Housing and Urban Development R Vaithilingam said on Tuesday. Replying to the debate on the demand for grants to his department in the State Assembly, Vaithilingam said that housing plots, measuring 3,480 sqft and 3,456 sqft, in CIT Nagar area (developed in 1961), had been sold to two persons, Padmanabhan and Jeyakumar, employed with the DMK headquarters ‘Anna Arivalayam.’ While the market value of these plots was Rs 5 crore, it was sold for Rs 1.48 crore, Vaithilingam claimed. Similarly, housing plots were sold to three others, Ganesan, Vinothan and Pandian in J J Nagar, he said.However, Vaithililngam alleged, they soon sold this property, where an apartment complex is being constructed now. Earlier, intervening during the speech of G Anbalagan (DMK), the Minister said that certain housing blocks in the Ammankulam and Ukkadam TNHB complexes, which were built during the DMK regime, had caved in.“It was a loot in both Fort and in huts (Kottayilum kollai, kudisayilum kollai). There is a loss of `50 crore due to the DMK regime’s administrative inefficiency. Whole housing blocks have caved in,” he charged.No sooner did the minister make the statement, all the DMK members were on their feet, demanding that the remark be expunged. DMK whip R Sakkarapani said the government could take action on the issue. “But, how can the minister use the word loot,” he asked, to which the Minister retorted, “I am only saying that government money was looted because of your [government’s] inefficiency.” The DMK members, however, continued to object and the Speaker ordered the marshalls to evict them. Later, the minister said that in 2000, DMK leader Ponmudy acquired land from the Cooperative Housing Society in Tiruchy, even though he was residing in Villupuram.
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